The present invention is directed generally to vehicle hubs. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a wheel hub cartridge, for example, a geared wheel hub cartridge, and a vehicle-mounted carrier configured to receive the hub cartridge.
Some known wheel hub assemblies integrate hub components with a steering knuckle, as would be recognized by one skilled in the art. For example, the geared wheel hub assemblies used by AM General LLC in its HMMWV product, integrate a steering knuckle with a geared hub assembly including an internal gear set coupled to a spindle carrying a flange to which a wheel can be attached. Integrating the gear set and steering knuckle in this manner can yield a very robust and relatively compact assembly. Such a hub assembly, however, typically is relatively heavy because the entire knuckle/gear housing typically is made of a single, sturdy, and heavy material, for example, heat-treated ductile iron, selected for its strength and resilience to the significant static and dynamic loads it might be subjected to during use.
Although such hub assemblies can be very robust, their internal components nevertheless can fail in use, particularly when the vehicle is used in hostile environments or under unduly heavy loads. Although such hub assemblies might be repairable or rebuildable, it typically is impractical to service them in the field or while attached to the vehicle. As such, the common practice for dealing with a failed hub assembly is to remove it from the vehicle, replace it with a functional hub assembly, repair or rebuild the failed hub assembly, and make the repaired or rebuilt hub assembly available for use as a replacement for another failed hub assembly. Even replacement of the entire hub assembly in the field, however, can be a daunting task that typically requires special tools and skills.